Eight NHS Trusts have been given Beacon status to spread best practice in treating cancer patients. They have been chosen because they demonstrate exceptional examples of a quality service that could be taken up elsewhere. They are also representative of the different types of cancer treatment.

Education Minister David Blunkett’s charge that some local councils are failing to spend enough education funding on schools has brought a robust response. Local Education Authorities deny that money for frontline education is being spent on red tape in the town hall. The Minister remains adamant that the figures in the league table of education spending produced by his department have been carefully checked by officials. The Local Government Association, representing the councils, claims that the figures are riddled with flaws and inconsistencies. The Association also claims that the league table contains figures that have been ‘doctored’ by officials.